EPA Approves Chlorpyrifos Returns

Chlorpyrifos Products Can Be Returned to Two Companies, Following EPA Approval

Todd Neeley
By  Todd Neeley , DTN Environmental Editor
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EPA has authorized two companies that sold chlorpyrifos-based insecticides to begin receiving and tracking returns of the products. (DTN file photo)

LINCOLN, Neb. (DTN) -- The EPA granted Corteva Agriscience and Adama US authorization in April to begin receiving returned shipments of chlorpyrifos-based products, after the agency canceled the insecticide's registration.

In an April 19, 2023, memorandum posted to the Federal Register, EPA issued a list of chlorpyrifos products that can be returned to Corteva and Adama.

A third chlorpyrifos registrant, Gharda Chemicals International Inc., and 19 agriculture interest groups continue to fight the EPA's decision in a lawsuit pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

"These registrants have provided the agency with information on the anticipated timing and consolidation process and have also agreed to document information on the returned products including product names, EPA registration numbers and amount of product being returned," the agency said in the memo.

To make arrangements to return Chlorpyrifos 4E AG and Vulcan products to Adama, the company can be reached at 1-866-406-6262 or by email at ordergroup@adama.com.

For more information on how to return chlorpyrifos products to Corteva, companies and farmers are encouraged to call the company at 1-800-258-3033.

Those Corteva products include Lorsban 15G, LOCK-ON, Hatchet, Lorsban 4E, Lorsban 50W in water soluble packets, Lorsban 75WG, Cobalt, Lorsban advanced, Cobalt advanced, Yuma 4E, Whirlwind, Govern 4E, Eraser and CPF 4E.

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide that has been plagued by legal problems over its alleged health effects since the 1990s, and its use had declined in agriculture in the past decade. Corteva, the largest registrant of the product, had discontinued its production of its branded chlorpyrifos product, Lorsban, in 2020.

According to EPA, other companies that sell similar products are either seeking registration amendments to remove food uses from or are requesting voluntary cancellations of chlorpyrifos products used on food and feed.

EPA finalized a rule on Feb. 28, 2022, revoking the food tolerances for chlorpyrifos, effectively banning legal use of the insecticide among U.S. farmers. That rule was issued by the Biden EPA in August 2021 in response to an order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The EPA issued a new interim registration for the insecticide in December 2020 before the Ninth Circuit handed down its order in April 2021. That order led EPA to issue its food tolerance revocation.

In the December 2020 action by EPA, it found 11 high-benefit, low-risk crop uses for chlorpyrifos. That finding is the subject of the lawsuit pending in the Eighth Circuit.

For more information on EPA's actions on chlorpyrifos, https://www.regulations.gov/…

Read more on DTN:

"Chlorpyrifos Ban Stands," https://www.dtnpf.com/…

Todd Neeley can be reached at todd.neeley@dtn.com

Follow him on Twitter @DTNeeley

Todd Neeley

Todd Neeley
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